What do you think?
Rate this book
Batman
Batman: Impostors
Batman must stop mass violence caused by an imposter posing as The Joker. A warped variation of the Joker drug has caused those who use it to suffer mental breakdowns and embrace anarchy and chaos. With riots cropping up throughout Gotham City, the citizens find themselves divided into two one led by a Batman imposter whose mission is to bring law and order back to the streets, the other led by a Joker imposter out to punish the innocent and set Gotham ablaze. And in the middle of it all is the real Dark Knight – but can even Batman stop an entire city?
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2011
1 person is currently reading
132 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 20, 2020
(C+) 65% | Almost Satisfactory
Notes: Weak and irrelevant, it’s about reefer madness, frontier justice, the great Gotham cosplay war and likewise nonsense.
Notes: Weak and irrelevant, it’s about reefer madness, frontier justice, the great Gotham cosplay war and likewise nonsense.
November 18, 2016
It’s the Jokerz (note edgy spelling with a "z") led by an imposter Joker vs. the Guardian Bats headed by a gun wielding phony Batman.
In a battle between two factions vying for control of Gotham City, there are never any winners.
The loser, however is the reader.
The Jokerz concept is an interesting one. Weekend weirdos dosing themselves with Joker juice and doing wacky stuff at the local mall.
Whoopee!!
Until the faux Joker starts some “real” trouble and then it’s game on. Bring on the Guardian Bats to put those Jokerz back in their place:
Batman doesn’t need any help from these guys ‘cause:
So, this begs the question, why create an imitation Joker mastermind, when the real one could just as easily been written into this mess?
I dunno.
Also, Batman shows his Anglophobe side dissing poor Alfred’s English traditions, and Bruce tries some of the Joker crack (to see how it would feel, naturally), turns all Jokerish and takes a swing at the mild mannered butler. No scones for you, Master Bruce and pick up your own damned underwear!
Also, since when does Batman sample the narcotics stash, wasn’t Tim, Dick or Aquaman around to use as guinea pigs.
Apparently there’s some sort of game tie-in to this storyline, but whether this was made into a game or this was based on the game, it doesn’t matter: it’s terrible.
Bottom line: Even though Bats is the crème de le crème of super heroes, there's a lot of merde out there.
In a battle between two factions vying for control of Gotham City, there are never any winners.
The loser, however is the reader.
The Jokerz concept is an interesting one. Weekend weirdos dosing themselves with Joker juice and doing wacky stuff at the local mall.
Whoopee!!
Until the faux Joker starts some “real” trouble and then it’s game on. Bring on the Guardian Bats to put those Jokerz back in their place:
Batman doesn’t need any help from these guys ‘cause:
So, this begs the question, why create an imitation Joker mastermind, when the real one could just as easily been written into this mess?
I dunno.
Also, Batman shows his Anglophobe side dissing poor Alfred’s English traditions, and Bruce tries some of the Joker crack (to see how it would feel, naturally), turns all Jokerish and takes a swing at the mild mannered butler. No scones for you, Master Bruce and pick up your own damned underwear!
Also, since when does Batman sample the narcotics stash, wasn’t Tim, Dick or Aquaman around to use as guinea pigs.
Apparently there’s some sort of game tie-in to this storyline, but whether this was made into a game or this was based on the game, it doesn’t matter: it’s terrible.
Bottom line: Even though Bats is the crème de le crème of super heroes, there's a lot of merde out there.
July 14, 2016
Groups of Batman and Joker fanboys – Jokerz and Guardian Batmen – battle in the Gotham streets while an imposter Joker and Batman look on. Why? Because this is a tie-in to the multiplayer first person shooter, Gotham City Imposters.
Video game tie-ins are pretty much always crap, and Batman: Imposters is no different. Then again GCI isn’t really meant to make sense, it’s just WB cashing in on the popularity of Batman and FPS games, mashing the two together to allow players to run around Gotham shooting guns. So whoever wrote this was never going to produce anything worthwhile and it’s David Hine who’s gotten saddled with the thankless and uphill struggle of making something out of this nonsense.
The story is surprisingly dark given its silly premise with the imposter Joker’s tragic backstory and even a lil kid who dresses up as a Robin gets thrown off a building to splatter on the ground below! The Joker Juice is what all the Jokerz take to emulate their hero and Batman doses himself with some of it too to understand what he’s going up against (which is something Bruce has done numerous times in the past, by the by).
For no reason there are a couple of references to Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight with the gun-toting Batman wannabes and the imposter Joker being named Winslow Heath, a nod to Heath Ledger. Shame such a good movie got honoured in such a crap comic but there it is!
Hine also works in a reference to Bartholomew’s Fair, an historical London event known for its debauchery that was banned in the mid-19th century, which was an informative, if random, tangent. But fairs these days aren’t these massive occasions so it’s bizarre to see the Gotham Fair being reported on the news when usually the only press fairs get is some posters stuck up around town! And this one even banned kids from attending – WTF?! So yeah, the whole fair finale is contrived rubbish.
Scott McDaniel’s art is ok though I’m not a fan and his style is a bit too cartoony for the dark material. Hine’s character work is very thin though I suppose he should get some credit for crafting a more-or-less coherent story - it’s still not a very interesting read anyway. Batman: Imposters is genuinely not worth bothering with!
Video game tie-ins are pretty much always crap, and Batman: Imposters is no different. Then again GCI isn’t really meant to make sense, it’s just WB cashing in on the popularity of Batman and FPS games, mashing the two together to allow players to run around Gotham shooting guns. So whoever wrote this was never going to produce anything worthwhile and it’s David Hine who’s gotten saddled with the thankless and uphill struggle of making something out of this nonsense.
The story is surprisingly dark given its silly premise with the imposter Joker’s tragic backstory and even a lil kid who dresses up as a Robin gets thrown off a building to splatter on the ground below! The Joker Juice is what all the Jokerz take to emulate their hero and Batman doses himself with some of it too to understand what he’s going up against (which is something Bruce has done numerous times in the past, by the by).
For no reason there are a couple of references to Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight with the gun-toting Batman wannabes and the imposter Joker being named Winslow Heath, a nod to Heath Ledger. Shame such a good movie got honoured in such a crap comic but there it is!
Hine also works in a reference to Bartholomew’s Fair, an historical London event known for its debauchery that was banned in the mid-19th century, which was an informative, if random, tangent. But fairs these days aren’t these massive occasions so it’s bizarre to see the Gotham Fair being reported on the news when usually the only press fairs get is some posters stuck up around town! And this one even banned kids from attending – WTF?! So yeah, the whole fair finale is contrived rubbish.
Scott McDaniel’s art is ok though I’m not a fan and his style is a bit too cartoony for the dark material. Hine’s character work is very thin though I suppose he should get some credit for crafting a more-or-less coherent story - it’s still not a very interesting read anyway. Batman: Imposters is genuinely not worth bothering with!
September 11, 2011
Interesting story about the consequences of our actions, but "Diet Joker" is not my idea of a good villain. Furthermore, the artwork in this book is significantly lacking.
February 28, 2021
Batman: Imposters is a collection of four issues from the original run of the Detective Comics series. It was written by David Hine and penciled by Scott McDaniel. Batman: Imposters collect four issues (Detective Comics #867–870) from the 1937 series run.
A warped variation of the Joker drug has caused those who use it to suffer mental breakdowns and embrace anarchy and chaos. With riots cropping up throughout Gotham City, the citizens find themselves divided into two gangs: one led by a Batman (Guardian Bats) imposter whose mission is to bring law and order back to the streets, the other led by a Joker imposter (Jokerz) out to punish the innocent and set Gotham ablaze – and in the middle of it all is the real Dark Knight.
David Hine penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it was written rather poorly – in my opinion. Hine had a decent concept, but the execution is much to be desired. Hine’s dialogue and characterization make Gotham regulars like Gordon, Bullock, and even Batman himself seem unrecognizable. Perhaps it is penned as a tie-in to a video game and since I haven’t heard or even played the game, it may affect the overall storyline.
Scott McDaniel penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. However, McDaniel’s particular style undermines the few moments of gravity that the script manages to create with his much to blocky and cartoon-like style – it just feel like an ill-fit with the narrative.
All in all, Batman: Imposters is has a decent concept of a gang war between an imposter Joker and Batman, but the execution and artwork is much to be desired.
A warped variation of the Joker drug has caused those who use it to suffer mental breakdowns and embrace anarchy and chaos. With riots cropping up throughout Gotham City, the citizens find themselves divided into two gangs: one led by a Batman (Guardian Bats) imposter whose mission is to bring law and order back to the streets, the other led by a Joker imposter (Jokerz) out to punish the innocent and set Gotham ablaze – and in the middle of it all is the real Dark Knight.
David Hine penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it was written rather poorly – in my opinion. Hine had a decent concept, but the execution is much to be desired. Hine’s dialogue and characterization make Gotham regulars like Gordon, Bullock, and even Batman himself seem unrecognizable. Perhaps it is penned as a tie-in to a video game and since I haven’t heard or even played the game, it may affect the overall storyline.
Scott McDaniel penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. However, McDaniel’s particular style undermines the few moments of gravity that the script manages to create with his much to blocky and cartoon-like style – it just feel like an ill-fit with the narrative.
All in all, Batman: Imposters is has a decent concept of a gang war between an imposter Joker and Batman, but the execution and artwork is much to be desired.
April 22, 2019
This was short and insane. Armies of Joker and Batman impostors fighting in the streets. And Duck Grayson, ironically, isn't the original Batman either. Some interesting art, and really cool covers too.
May 17, 2012
The best story I've ever read by David Hine and still it only gets 2 stars. He consistently writes stories that jump from plot point to plot point with absolutely no explanation as to why, and without even any thought about whether or not events make logical sense.
For instance, a very major plot point in this story involves a bad guy opening a carnival in Gotham. No special kind of carnival. Just regular old, ferris wheel, dumb games, guys-on-stilts carnival. But for some reason this lame-ass carnival is broadcast all over TV and treated like it is some sort of groundbreaking event, and nearly EVERYONE in Gotham goes to it, despite the fact that the city has been embroiled in gang violence. It is mind boggling. I know me and my friends always just freak out whenever we hear some dumb carnival is coming to town. We dress up like clowns and are there, waiting in line for 5 hours behind every other New York citizen just waiting to shoot water into a fake clown's mouth. So fun!
Also, there's a scene where it's established that a kid has a gun, and he just so happens to be a young black kid with corn rows and a basketball jersey? It is utterly unimportant to the story, so it's like they went out of their way to be racist.
Another weird problem I have with this is, it was originally published in Detective Comics during a period where Dick Grayson was Batman. But this story was mostly written to tie-in to the Gotham City Impostors video game. Why it wasn't given it's own separate miniseries I don't know, but it's clear that they removed all references to which Batman this is (Dick or Bruce) in order to make it seem like maybe this is happening in canon. It's confusing and unnecessary.
For instance, a very major plot point in this story involves a bad guy opening a carnival in Gotham. No special kind of carnival. Just regular old, ferris wheel, dumb games, guys-on-stilts carnival. But for some reason this lame-ass carnival is broadcast all over TV and treated like it is some sort of groundbreaking event, and nearly EVERYONE in Gotham goes to it, despite the fact that the city has been embroiled in gang violence. It is mind boggling. I know me and my friends always just freak out whenever we hear some dumb carnival is coming to town. We dress up like clowns and are there, waiting in line for 5 hours behind every other New York citizen just waiting to shoot water into a fake clown's mouth. So fun!
Also, there's a scene where it's established that a kid has a gun, and he just so happens to be a young black kid with corn rows and a basketball jersey? It is utterly unimportant to the story, so it's like they went out of their way to be racist.
Another weird problem I have with this is, it was originally published in Detective Comics during a period where Dick Grayson was Batman. But this story was mostly written to tie-in to the Gotham City Impostors video game. Why it wasn't given it's own separate miniseries I don't know, but it's clear that they removed all references to which Batman this is (Dick or Bruce) in order to make it seem like maybe this is happening in canon. It's confusing and unnecessary.
October 18, 2019
Batman: Impostors is a very intriguing and interesting novel by David Hine. Here is a brief overview of the novel. When The Joker is killed by an unknown assailant, a group of Joker worshipers, known as the mad mob, use a substance known as Joker Venom and “convert” unsuspecting victims to join the mob by using the venom as a gas or as a projectile. The person in charge of the pharmaceutical company supplies the Mad Mob with Joker Venom is also the leader of the cult, plays a role of another character.
While Batman struggles to find the kingpin of the mob, another looming danger is present in Gotham, a vigilante police force made of bootleg Batmans take to the streets lead by a mysterious masked crusader. The Mad Mob and the Batmen engage in frequent skirmishes which are often put out by the police, aided by Batman and Robin, often have to put the riots out by force. Batman also has his hands full looking for the leader of the fake Batmen, who turns out to be the leader of the Mad Mob, and was playing both cults to ensure maximum chaos.
All in all, I would give the story an 6/10. The plot was very consistent and was accompanied by very good illustrations by Andy Owens, but a very see-through storyline limited the story’s potential. Overall, hthis is a decent novel for people who want a quick short read, but not a very good book to invest a whole lot of time in.
Batman: Impostors is a very intriguing and interesting novel by David Hine. Here is a brief overview of the novel. When The Joker is killed by an unknown assailant, a group of Joker worshipers, known as the mad mob, use a substance known as Joker Venom and “convert” unsuspecting victims to join the mob by using the venom as a gas or as a projectile. The person in charge of the pharmaceutical company supplies the Mad Mob with Joker Venom is also the leader of the cult, plays a role of another character.
While Batman struggles to find the kingpin of the mob, another looming danger is present in Gotham, a vigilante police force made of bootleg Batmans take to the streets lead by a mysterious masked crusader. The Mad Mob and the Batmen engage in frequent skirmishes which are often put out by the police, aided by Batman and Robin, often have to put the riots out by force. Batman also has his hands full looking for the leader of the fake Batmen, who turns out to be the leader of the Mad Mob, and was playing both cults to ensure maximum chaos.
All in all, I would give the story an 6/10. The plot was very consistent and was accompanied by very good illustrations by Andy Owens, but a very see-through storyline limited the story’s potential. Overall, this is a decent novel for people who want a quick short read, but not a very good book to invest a whole lot of time in.
While Batman struggles to find the kingpin of the mob, another looming danger is present in Gotham, a vigilante police force made of bootleg Batmans take to the streets lead by a mysterious masked crusader. The Mad Mob and the Batmen engage in frequent skirmishes which are often put out by the police, aided by Batman and Robin, often have to put the riots out by force. Batman also has his hands full looking for the leader of the fake Batmen, who turns out to be the leader of the Mad Mob, and was playing both cults to ensure maximum chaos.
All in all, I would give the story an 6/10. The plot was very consistent and was accompanied by very good illustrations by Andy Owens, but a very see-through storyline limited the story’s potential. Overall, hthis is a decent novel for people who want a quick short read, but not a very good book to invest a whole lot of time in.
Batman: Impostors is a very intriguing and interesting novel by David Hine. Here is a brief overview of the novel. When The Joker is killed by an unknown assailant, a group of Joker worshipers, known as the mad mob, use a substance known as Joker Venom and “convert” unsuspecting victims to join the mob by using the venom as a gas or as a projectile. The person in charge of the pharmaceutical company supplies the Mad Mob with Joker Venom is also the leader of the cult, plays a role of another character.
While Batman struggles to find the kingpin of the mob, another looming danger is present in Gotham, a vigilante police force made of bootleg Batmans take to the streets lead by a mysterious masked crusader. The Mad Mob and the Batmen engage in frequent skirmishes which are often put out by the police, aided by Batman and Robin, often have to put the riots out by force. Batman also has his hands full looking for the leader of the fake Batmen, who turns out to be the leader of the Mad Mob, and was playing both cults to ensure maximum chaos.
All in all, I would give the story an 6/10. The plot was very consistent and was accompanied by very good illustrations by Andy Owens, but a very see-through storyline limited the story’s potential. Overall, this is a decent novel for people who want a quick short read, but not a very good book to invest a whole lot of time in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2019
This goodreads review will be on the vivid book BATMAN IMPOSTERS, by David Hine, Scott McDaniel, and Andy Owens. The book is a graphic retelling of the experience of Winslow Heath, a victim of the Joker. The encounter caused Heath severe pain, loss, and hatred towards Batman.
This novel has an extravagant plot and many thrills. The book is in the mystery genre for lots of good reasons. This book has numerous battles and is very graphic with regard to violence, torture, and death. I really liked the book for its extreme plot twists. I especially liked the visual scenes in the book. For example, on page 27, a riot officer gets ripped up by arrows with his face and body seeping blood. I also liked the immense number of details on most of the pages. For instance, on page 110-111, a huge battle breaks out. There is lots of fighting in a spiral shape, to show how spun out of control the situation is. The cause of the battle being Winslow Heath.
Those were the reasons why I liked this book. I would like to recommend it to people who enjoy the mystery genre and Batman.
This novel has an extravagant plot and many thrills. The book is in the mystery genre for lots of good reasons. This book has numerous battles and is very graphic with regard to violence, torture, and death. I really liked the book for its extreme plot twists. I especially liked the visual scenes in the book. For example, on page 27, a riot officer gets ripped up by arrows with his face and body seeping blood. I also liked the immense number of details on most of the pages. For instance, on page 110-111, a huge battle breaks out. There is lots of fighting in a spiral shape, to show how spun out of control the situation is. The cause of the battle being Winslow Heath.
Those were the reasons why I liked this book. I would like to recommend it to people who enjoy the mystery genre and Batman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2024
David Hine's Detective Comics run comes to an end and its a mixed bag. An introduction of a new villain who is actually interesting but tied too directly to a current rogue. His backstory is sad and demented. The story overall was a little cliched and made too many smart characters look dumb. I know that Scott McDaniel's art is polarizing but I really enjoyed it here. I didn't love the coloring at times as it was made too "jokery". Overall, a quick read that did a great job with a new villain despite an average plot.
July 14, 2025
Another gang war has begun in Gotham, this time at the hands of impostor gangs whom disguise themselves as either the Joker or Batman and fight the other faction under their perceived notions of what their namesakes desire.
This was solidly meh. The premise was a bit more interesting than the average gang war storyline and competently plotted but the overaching narrative is pretty tired. The story wasn't helped by McDaniel's art which failed to set a dramatic tone nor a campy one, with a style that is cartoonish yet brash and feels out of place depicting both grim an cheery content. I don't usually mind McDaniel's art but found it particularly unlikeable here, perhaps due to the candy like hyper-saturated colors.
This was solidly meh. The premise was a bit more interesting than the average gang war storyline and competently plotted but the overaching narrative is pretty tired. The story wasn't helped by McDaniel's art which failed to set a dramatic tone nor a campy one, with a style that is cartoonish yet brash and feels out of place depicting both grim an cheery content. I don't usually mind McDaniel's art but found it particularly unlikeable here, perhaps due to the candy like hyper-saturated colors.
October 31, 2019
Nice start for my 1st comic book
September 17, 2021
I’m irritated that I spent actual money on this poorly written story with equally bad art.
September 21, 2023
A few decent ideas squandered in the name of half-assed satire, and even then heavily contrived with some truly dumb character moments.
December 13, 2024
slowly annihilating my reading slump with comics
December 29, 2014
Not the most acerbic Batman story. A street narcotic turns regular people into imitation "Jokerz" and an imposter Batman incites other everyday citizens to dress up like Batman and murder them. If you don't think too much it is an all right read, not as awful as many other reviewers have postulated. The writer David Hines seems to have only a loose grip on the character, resulting in a very un-Batman like scene where Bats himself inhales the drug to "know how it feels."
Many people complain of the horrible art by Scott McDaniels, but he is a tremendous artist. Just a horrendous fit for a story purporting to be extremely dark and with a massive body count. McDaniels' art is just too cartoony. What looked gorgeous on Nightwing just seems out of sorts here.
Considering this 4-part 120 page arc is really just an advertisment for the Gotham Imposters video game, it's decent. Better Bat-stories obviously exist but if you find this used for a couple bucks it'll mildly entertain you for an hour.
Many people complain of the horrible art by Scott McDaniels, but he is a tremendous artist. Just a horrendous fit for a story purporting to be extremely dark and with a massive body count. McDaniels' art is just too cartoony. What looked gorgeous on Nightwing just seems out of sorts here.
Considering this 4-part 120 page arc is really just an advertisment for the Gotham Imposters video game, it's decent. Better Bat-stories obviously exist but if you find this used for a couple bucks it'll mildly entertain you for an hour.
October 28, 2011
Okay, we get it. Batman is the catalyst to Gotham's madness- even if he refuses to see it. This philosophy has been tossed around over and over and many times done better. It wasn't a bad story, but I would have enjoyed it more had it gone differently. Also, I found myself justifiably irritated while reading this. It was difficult to side with Batman and his 'ethical' standards as police officers were being sent out with rubber bullets to fight growing mobs of Joker-wannabes (most of whom had willingly chosen to juice up on Joker's favorite concoction.)
January 19, 2013
This is why I love Batman.
Fun story, not too wide, not too short, a bit smart, a bit funny.
The only negative is that it's indistinguishable if it was Dick or Bruce behind the mask, perhaps even purposely. But still, a fun read.
(But don't expect very serious message from this book. There is none.)
Fun story, not too wide, not too short, a bit smart, a bit funny.
The only negative is that it's indistinguishable if it was Dick or Bruce behind the mask, perhaps even purposely. But still, a fun read.
(But don't expect very serious message from this book. There is none.)
September 26, 2011
Library copy. I like the artist Scott McDaniel but the story was by-the-numbers predictable. I feel like I've read hundreds of Joker imposter stories over the years. In fairness, I know nothing about the video on which this book was based.
February 25, 2012
Nothing special. Very predictable and for a short story (four issues) it seems much longer. It just drags on, hopefully the upcoming video game is better but than again the odds are that it will be by default.
September 15, 2014
The idea of people impersonating The Joker and Batman has been done before. One of the imposters, Winslow Heath, is obviously named after the late Heath Ledger. We are reminded of the possibility that Batman's presence is what provokes insane criminals.
May 9, 2015
Cool. Like a short story away from the normal storyline/universe. An easy little read (only 4 issues) but still pretty cool. Would have rather had the real Joker in this, but the Jokerz weren't too bad of a replacement.
September 4, 2011
The last chapter turned this collection around. That far it had been a so-so story with crappy art, but really, that twist in the last chapter was brilliant.
March 2, 2012
I like the premise and the red, green, and purple color palette, but this one never really rises to its potential.
August 7, 2012
I thought the premise was good, but it the story felt overlong. Several surprises for me at the end, though, which are always good.
October 12, 2012
This was absolutely terrible. Cliched with dumb references and an overall predictable story.
January 14, 2013
The story was great, and i actually felt sorry for the Joker imposter at the end, after learning his backstory
September 24, 2014
This was pretty good. Characters besides Batman were pretty thin, could have used a little more about the cops or Jokerz. Art not exactly my favorite.
October 5, 2015
This book is in many ways darker than much of the longer story lines and deserved more depth.
March 5, 2012
the style of the artwork was a little too....don't know....I just don't care for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews